Method of making boiler compounds.



see N r.

EDWARD R. WILLIAMS, OF SHABPSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDVARD WmmAMs, citizen of the United 5 ates, residing at Sharpsburg, in the county of Allegheny and.

State of Pennsylvania, 1 we invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Boiler Compounds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boiler chemicals or boi'ler'compounds, such as are used for preventing the formation of or removing scale in steam boilers, etc. and for softening and neutralizing, the water supplied thereto. 1

The object of the invention is to provide an improved boiler chemical or compound, and a method of producing the same. whereby the user can be supplied with the compound in a novel and concentrated form, enabling him to mix up his own solution or commercial boiler compound, without expert chemical knowledge, and nevertheless obtain highly efficient results.

Further objects of the invention are-in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

The proper treatment of boiler feed-water is a problem that usually requires careful consideration and study in each instance by a skilled chemist, who must select the proper ingredients and mix them in the proper proportions and form to correct the faults in the particular water in use. Asa result the custom has grown-up of preparing and supplying to the user, a boiler compound for his boiler feed-water. in the form of awater solution, or liquid compound which consists mainly of water in which chemicals have been dissolved. this solution being introduced into the boilers with the feedwater or used to treat the feed-water in tanks or reservoirs especially prepared for treating water for industrial purposes. Likewise it may be introduced into the boilers in any other suitable manner. This custom of furnishing the chemicals in solution has required the handling, storing and shipping of large quantities of water to get the chemicals to the consumer. the expense of which could be prevented by adding the water to the chemicals at the boiler plant, if someone at. the plant were competent to compound the chemicals with the water to produce the solution or liquid boiler compound. This however would require the services of a chemist with special knowl- Specification of Letters Patent.

METHOD OEMAKING BOILER COMPOUNDS.

Patented Feb. is, rare.

Application filed December 29, 1917. Serial No. 209,400.

edge of compounding such chemicals and would be more expensive than paying the freight, drayage and storage upon the water contained in the liquid boiler compound.

My-invention aims to overcome the aforesaid necessary expense, by supplying the consumer with a concentrated boiler compound or chemical properly compounded One of the essential ingredients of my improved boiler chemical or compound is a concentrated or strong alkali preferably in solid form, such as soda, and as caustic soda or sodium hydrate is one of the most concentrated or strongest forms of alkali, I prefer to use it as a base for my concentrated compound. to which are added other suitable ingredients, as will appear.

Caustic soda has the property of neutraliz ing any acid condition that may be and often is found in boiler-feed water, especially when the water has been in contact with coal and has taken up some of the sulfur which is held in solution, and which has a deteriorating effect upon the iron of the steam-boilers, etc. Likewise caustic soda will soften hard water which contains lime and other minerals which harden the water, its action being to throw-down or precipitate certain of "these minerals so that they centrated chemical or compound is tannin,

which may be supplied in various forms. Tannin is a vegetable substance which also has a dissolving or loosening eflect upon boiler scale and prevents further deposition of scale upon the inner surface of the boilers. Tannin is found in the bark, wood, flowers, leaves, berries or fruit of arious trees and plants. It is found for example, in ordinary coffee beans. Ordinary tan bark, such as used by tanners for tanning leather, and which can be purchased readily in the market in a finely divided dry condition is frequently composed of the barks of one or more trees, such as the chestnut oak. This material in a dry state is well adapted to combine with caustic soda while in a molten state, for which reason I prefer its use as the source of tannin in my concentrated boiler chemical or compound, although any other suit able source of tannin may be used, as will be readily understood.

A further ingredient of my improved boiler compound is graphite or plumbago which may be used with or without the tan-- nin or tan bark and is combined in the canstic soda while the caustic soda is in a molten condition in the same manner as the tannin. The action of graphite upon the boiler scale is to work its way into and under the scale formation and rot or mechanically disintegrate it to'such an extent that it is freed from the surfaces of the boilers and tubes, where it has baked and adhered. Graphite will also prevent the scale from adhering to the surface of the boilers.

Other ingredients maybe used if desired but the foregoing three ingredients are the most essential.

The concentrated boiler chemical or boiler compound is produced by combining the.

-iron or other package into which the hot compound is to be poured. In other words 'acomposition of the several ingredients takes place in the container in which the product is to be shipped and sold. The tannin and graphite, either one alone or both together, are introduced into said container, to which is added the molten caustic soda,

the container being sealed after cooling and solidification of the mass. Preferably the graphite is in finely divided or powder form, and the tan bark is in ground form such as procurable at any tannery, or in a similar condition if derived from some other source, to facilitate absorption by the caustic soda. Due to the caustic soda being hot and in molten or liquid condition the tannin from the tan bark and the graphite,

weaves either one or both, are quickly absorbed or taken up and combined with the caustic soda, which becomes thoroughly impregnated with same, evidence of which is manitested in the condition of the product when allowed to cool and solidify. It is found to differ from caustic soda in appearance, being of a darker color as distinguished from the opaque white of commercial caustic soda. It is also of a much lower specific gravity than caustic soda, and is tough rather than brittle like caustic soda. When struck with a hammer it does not have the that when a solution is made with this new.

compound dissolved in Water it is of a very dark color instead of the clear white solution that is found when caustic soda is dissolved in a similar amount of water.

The concentrated chemical or compound is run into suitable cans or containers in known quantities while it is in a molten condition, and is allowed to cool ,and solidify, when it is shipped to the user with instructions to merely dissolve it in a definite quantity of water, say about two and one-half to two and two-thirds times as much water as the chemical, by weight. This will form a solutlon suitable for the "treatment of boiler feed-water either be fore the water is introduced into the steam boilers, in tanks and water treatment apparatus, or for treating the water directly within the steam boilers, and is furthermore adapted to remove scale previously formed in steam boilers.

Due to the highly concentrated condition of the product it costs considerably less to handle, store and ship it, requirmg about one fourth the space to store it. Likewise less labor is required to handle it, and being in solidified form it cannot leak away as is the case with other forms of boiler compounds, especially the liquids;

As the solution or liquid boiler compound can be produced from the concentrated boiler compound or chemical by an ordinary laborer, where it has heretofore required the services of a. skilled chemist to produce such solutions, this is a saving of no little proportion to the consumer, as he has heretofore had to pay for thechemists work instead of the laborers.

' The cost of the thin sheet-iron cans or drums isfmuch less than the cost of steel barrels such as are used for containing liquid boiler compounds or chemical solutions, to

say nothing of the extra cost of freight and drayage due to the Weight of such steel barrels, not alone when used to ship the solutions but likewise the cost of returning the same to the producer of the solutions. All of this expense must be met by the consumer, while he can sell the sheet-iron of which the small drums or containers for holding the solidified chemical are made, for scrap and get some of the cost of same in this manner.

The quantities of tannin or tan bark and graphite may of course be varied according to the circumstances, such as the character of the particular water to be treated, or the preference of the consumer, and of course by such variation the caustic soda necessarily is varied to the extent of the difference in the quantities of the other ingredients. In this manner different mixtures or combinations can be formed and supplied to meet the varying demands of the consumer or difierences in the feed-Water, or other conditions.

Similarly the solution can be varied at the consumers plants so that compounds or solutions of various strengths can be made by changing the proportion of water to be added to the concentrated or solidified boiler dissolved in two and two-thirds times byweight, ofwater, preferably hot water to asr sist in solution, a very eflicient liquid boiler compound is produced.

The method and product described result in a very material saving in the cost of boiler chemicals or boiler compounds, and nevertheless supply to the consumer a concentrated chemical or compound which he can readily dissolve or mix without special knowledge of chemistry, and still obtain eificient results in the treatment of his boiler feed-water.

Boiler compound as used in the claims hereafter, refers to a chemical composition to be used for the treatment of water to be used for the production of steam, either directly in the steam boilers, or previous to the water being introduced into the steam boilers.

What I claim is 1. A boiler compound, consisting of a fused mixture of caustic soda and tannin in solid form.

2. A boiler compound, consisting of a fused mixture of caustic soda, tannin and graphite in solid form.

3. The method of making a boiler compound, consisting in combining tannin with molten caustic soda.

4. The method of making a boiler compound, consisting in combining tannin and graphite with molten caustic soda.

5. The method of making a boiler compound, consisting in combining tannin with molten caustic soda, and making a solution of the same by dissolving it in water.

6. The method of making a boiler compound, consisting of combining tannin and graphite with molten caustic soda, and making a solution of the same by dissolving in water.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EDWARD R. WILLIAMS. 

